Book Review :: Bringing Up Bebe

Title : Bringing Up Bebe

Series : NA

Author : Pamela Druckerman

Rating : ***

Basic Plot : This is a non-fiction book full of tips about bringing up a baby like the French do. The American mother is curious why French children are so well mannered. Why don't they throw their food and cause a scene at a restaurant? Why are they so civil and polite while talking to adults? And why do they all sleep through the night at such early ages? Through this book you learn all the the French secrets about parenting the French themselves don't even realize they are keeping. 

Comments : I loved the jovial, conversational tone of this book, especially because I listened to it and didn't read it. This made it so easy for me to follow along with all of the messages, tips, and tricks the author had to share. The language was genuine and sincerely helpful. This is a great book about French parenting from the perspective of a non-french mother. This book teaches about easy, calm authority. It shows how parents are not at the constant service of their children. Bringing Up Bebe gives useful advice about bringing up strong, polite, independent children who have respect for older generations. Pamela Druckerman nailed it with her writing style. 

Significance : I wish, of all the parenting books I read, that this was the one I discovered before giving birth. Though I did not agree with everything, there were so many tips and tricks I found useful and that would have been helpful in the early stages of having my infant home those first months. The one I liked most of all, taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of the baby. Also, teaching your child to wait. These are things, once I implemented them in my own home, that made life so much easier for me and my little one. This booked helped me get my son an a regular eating and napping schedule. This book helped me figure out why I was feeling so down and grungy. Granted, every circumstance is different, but French parenting certainly helped me. I enjoyed it and learned much from it. 

Similar : French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon, The Lincolns: A Portrait of a Marriage by Daniel Mark Epstein, How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm by Mei-Ling Hopgood